Gun Violence and Community Response in Bogalusa, Louisiana Amid Federal Funding Changes
In December 2022, Bogalusa, Louisiana, experienced a rise in violence, highlighted by the killing of 15-year-old Ronié Taylor at a birthday party. In response, Khlilia Daniels founded Forever Takes a Village, a community initiative aimed at addressing gun violence through local intervention programs. Daniels received a $250,000 federal Community Violence Intervention (CVI) sub-grant via Equal Justice USA to build the program, with objectives to hire staff, acquire supplies, and potentially establish a youth center.
The Biden administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) allocated approximately $300 million in CVI funds to about 100 programs across 35 states from 2021 to 2025, focusing on tackling root causes of gun violence through community-based efforts. However, in April 2025, the Trump administration canceled $800 million in DOJ funding related to gun violence and associated programs, including the grant to Daniels' initiative, leading Equal Justice USA to lose funding and face closure.
The DOJ explained that discretionary funds not aligning with the administration's priorities undergo review. When CVI funding reopened in September 2025, eligibility was limited to city, county, and tribal governments and required commitments to cooperate with immigration enforcement, rendering Daniels and Equal Justice USA ineligible.
Bogalusa's crime context reveals nine homicides in 2022, four in 2023, two in 2024, and two so far in 2025. The violent crime rate was around 646 per 100,000 in 2022. Notable cases include the 2021 death of rapper JayDaYoungan and the 2022 birthday-party shooting that prompted community action.
Local governance and economic challenges compound the situation. Tyrin Truong, Bogalusa’s first Black mayor, was arrested in January 2025 in a drug trafficking probe, leading to the appointment of a fiscal administrator for city finances. The International Paper mill in Bogalusa was fined $500,000 by the EPA for Clean Air Act violations. Approximately one-third of Bogalusa residents live below the poverty line, and the population has declined since the 1960s.
Despite funding setbacks, Forever Takes a Village continues to operate, hosting events such as medication distribution and turkey giveaways to maintain community outreach and support.
